Secret Past
by RoniMikaelson
Summary: Hope Mikaelson is not Hope Mikaelson anymore… Her name is Hope Logan and she barely remembers her Aunt Rebekah or the stories she was told about her parents. But one tragic night changes everything and suddenly she's on the run with her closest friends to survive Esther's wrath and find her family.
1. Everything Changes

**A/N So this is an idea I had for a fanfiction after watching The Originals episode 'The Brothers That Care Forgot' and wanted to write down. I hope that you enjoy the story. Please review and tell me what you think! **

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><p>Rebekah sat on the couch, looking around her quaint little home. Hope was sleeping soundly in her bedroom right above the living room and all she had to do was wait until Klaus and Hayley called to see how their daughter was doing, as they had promised to do. As if on queue, Rebekah's phone lit up with an incoming call from where it was lying on the kitchen table. She jumped up and darted over to it. She was just picking it up when a flash of orange light caught her eye. She whirled around to face the window. A cloaked figure stood outside, fire in the shape of a pentagon surrounding him. He was a witch, no doubt about it. Rebekah ran to the window above the sink. Another witch, another fire-pentagon… A quick peek out of every window in the bottom story of the house revealed she was surrounded. She ran back to her phone; she had to talk to Klaus, she had to know what to do. The window exploded and the force sent her to the floor. Her phone slid under the refrigerator and out of reach. There was no time to get it. Witches were attacking her house and they wanted one thing: her. They didn't know about Hope and they couldn't find out. Rebekah darted up the stairs, reaching Hope's bedroom in under a second. The six year old was just waking up from the sound of the attack, a confused look on her face. Without pausing to explain, Rebekah pulled Hope into her arms, gathering up a blanket with her and the wooden toy that had been given to Rebekah herself so many years ago. It was a gift from Klaus and Hope never slept without it. Carrying Hope out of the room, she paused at the door to shut it. She broke off the doorknob easily enough; she was an Original Vampire after all. She set Hope down on the floor.<p>

"Wait a minute, love." She said distractedly, just trying to keep the girl calm. She pulled the large bookcase in front of the door. Without the doorknob sticking out, the bookcase could be pushed tightly up against the door, covering the doorframe entirely. No one would know there was a bedroom there. Tossing the door knob underneath the hall bathroom cabinet to hide it, Rebekah swiftly scooped up Hope again. A shattering sound downstairs alerted her to another broken window. They were running low on time… She darted to her bedroom and into the closet, moving Hope over to her hip and holding her with one arm. She needed a free hand.

"Auntie Bekah, what's going on?" Hope asked. Rebekah shushed her, hoping she didn't sound as scared as she felt. She pulled open the trap door in the closet and a cloud of dust came on top of them. Hope sneezed and buried her face in Rebekah's neck. Rebekah pulled down the ladder and swiftly climbed up into the crawl space. It was just that: a crawl space; you couldn't even stand up in it, though Hope might have had an easier time with it. Rebekah set Hope down at the end of the crawl space, in a tiny nook between a stack of boxes and an old trunk.

"Hope, love, stay here, alright? You have to stay here and keep very quiet. I'll be back to get you in just a few moments, but you can't make a sound, got it?" She asked. Hope's hazel eyes were wide in fear. A loud thump downstairs told her that the door was being kicked in.

"It'll be just like our games. You remember playing hide and seek? This is what that is. Just stay here and don't let anyone but me find you, okay?" Rebekah tried to ease her niece's fear, but she didn't have the time. She darted out of the crawl space, pushing the ladder back up and closing the door tightly behind her.

"Rebekah, I know you're here." Esther's voice rang through the house. Rebekah took a deep breath and listened hard. Not a sound came from the crawl space. She let out the breath, glad that Hope had listened to her, despite how scary and confusion this must be for her. She walked down the stairs to find Esther in her living room, looking around as if she was hiding like a child underneath the coffee table.

"Mother… I'd heard you'd come back to the living. Although I'm surprised you've returned to your original body. I heard that you'd been having fun with Nik and Elijah with your body jumping spells." She tried to keep her voice calm, like she wasn't hiding a six year old little girl in her attic crawl space. Esther's face broke into a huge smile.

"Rebekah… I think it's time we go home, don't you?" Rebekah tried not to let the relief she felt show on her face. Not a mention of Hope. That was exactly what she wanted. Two men were on either side of her now, but they didn't look like warlocks. She glanced over at their hands and saw the moonlight rings. Werewolves… She looked back over at her mother.

"And by home you mean what? Where you're hunting down my siblings?" Esther's smile faded. Obviously this was not how she'd wanted this conversation to go. The first werewolf made to grab Rebekah, but the Original was faster. She spun around and used a well placed kick to send him flying back against the wall. The second one tried to grab her but a fist to the face made him stumble back and re-think this. A third came around the corner and grabbed her in a choke-hold before she could react. She felt his teeth sink into her shoulder. He shoved her to the ground. She rolled away and climbed back to her feet.

"I've killed wolves before, you mutts!" She snarled. But pain was already making her shoulder burn and she knew it was only a matter of time until she was too weak to fight them. Pain erupted in her head and made her scream with pain, collapsing to her knees. Esther walked over at her.

"Werewolves and a witch both are too much for you, my daughter. But don't worry, everything will be fine." Rebekah collapsed onto her back and slipped into unconsciousness. Esther looked around the room again before turning to the two werewolves that had been humiliatingly beaten by Rebekah.

"Search the house! I want to be sure that Niklaus's child is dead and gone!" The werewolves hurried up the stairs, not wanting to wait and face Esther's wrath. The third werewolf carried Rebekah outside, stuffing her into the trunk of the car. Esther looked down at her unconscious daughter, stroking her cheek softly.

"This isn't how I want it to go, you know." She sighed and then shut the trunk. The two werewolves walked back over to her, each of them carrying something. She raised an eyebrow as they stopped in front of her.

"The child was here, but it's gone now." They held up what they'd found and Esther took the objects in her hands. They were a soft pink blanket and a stuffed animal, both of which had no doubt being lying forgotten in Rebekah's bedroom. Esther nodded once.

"We'll find her. For now, let us get my daughter back to New Orleans. We have much to discuss…"

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><p>Hope pulled the blanket tighter around her, trying to stop the tears cascading out of her eyes. It had been a long time since she'd heard any of those gosh-awful screams or thumps or yelling. She moved just enough to get her legs out in front of her and move them around as to get the feeling back into them. Rebekah had told her to stay there until she got back, but it had felt like hours. Maybe it had been hours… Fear was making Hope's heart race and she hated the dark crawl space. It was making her claustrophobic. She looked down at the wooden toy she held in her hands. Clutching it to her chest, she crawled out of her nook. She crawled over to the trap door and pulled it open. It wasn't hard to lower the ladder, considering it was attached to the trap door itself, but it did make a loud clang as the bottom hit the closet floor. She cringed and squeezed her eyes shut; waiting for a sound to tell her someone was coming upstairs. When she heard nothing, she dropped her blanket and toy to the floor before climbing down herself. Gathering up her things again, she crept into Rebekah's bedroom. It was empty. Not daring to call out for her, Hope silently searched the entire house. When she didn't find anyone, she sat down in the kitchen and cried. She'd been abandoned and she didn't know what to do. She cried herself to sleep and when she woke up, it was darn. She stood up and ran from the house, dropping her blanket but keeping a tight hold on her toy. She didn't know where to go but she couldn't stay in that house anymore. She ran until her legs ached and then she stopped and fell to the sidewalk. She was several blocks away, in a part of town she'd hardly ever been to before. She started crying again.<p>

"Are you alright?" She looked up at the woman who had approached her. She was in her late twenties with dark hair and kind brown eyes, still wearing her pajamas with a rolled up newspaper tucked underneath her arm. Hope sniffed and wiped at her eyes, not answering. The woman kneeled down in front of her.

"Where are your parents?" She asked softly, looking around as if two adults would magically appear before her eyes. Hope wiped at her eyes again.

"I don't know! I… I lived with my Auntie Bekah." Hope finally sputtered. The woman started chewing on her bottom lip, thinking about what to do.

"Well, where's your aunt now?"

"I don't know…. She…she left me."

"Well, I'm sure that's not true. It's probably just a big misunderstanding." The woman tried to assure her. She looked around again and then gently pulled Hope to her feet.

"You can come inside, warm up and get something to eat and then we'll take you to the police station and we can see if your aunt is looking for you, alright?" Hope nodded in agreement.

"I'm Dinah. What can I call you, sweetheart?"

"Hope. My name is Hope."

"Okay then, Hope, let's go inside." Dinah and Hope went into the house. A girl no older than Hope came bounding downstairs.

"I'm ready!" She called out, smiling widely and spinning around in her hot pink skirt. Her smile turned into confusion when she saw Hope.

"The park is going to wait a while, sweetie. We have a girl who's in need of some help. I'll go get you something to eat, okay? You can sit over on the couch and make yourself comfortable, alright?" Dinah asked, motioning to the over-stuffed leather couch in the living room. Once Hope was settled on the couch, Dinah hurried into the kitchen. The other girl walked over to Hope.

"What's that?" She pointed at the wooden object in Hope's hand. Hope quickly hit it under her nightgown.

"Nothing." She answered, lying quickly. The girl didn't seem to really care about the object anyway, because she quickly changed the subject.

"I'm Emery, by the way."

"I'm Hope." Emery smiled widely and then she flopped down onto the couch next to Hope.

"I have a feeling that we're gonna be best friends!"


	2. Memories Don't Last Forever

**A/N This chapter focuses on Hope as a teenager and how she's adjusted to being adopted as a child. Hope you guys enjoy. Reviews are always welcome. **

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><p><em>Dear Diary,<em>

_I was thinking about my past today… And for the life of me, I can't remember what my supposed aunt looked like. I guess that memories don't last forever. Maybe its better that I don't remember her, though… I mean, she did leave me! All I know is, I was wandering around an empty house and then running away. My therapist, who insists like everyone else that I have abandonment issues, thinks that I buried those memories on purpose, that it was too painful so I shut down. I don't know what to think. But I do know what I don't want to think: about this. This is a new day, the start of a new school year. What could go wrong? I just jinxed it, I know. And anything that goes wrong today is totally on me. But I do believe that my junior year is going to be the best yet. I mean, this is the first town in almost a decade that mom decided to stay in. She's a traveler and I think her adventurous spirit is rubbing off on Emery… If only I'd gotten a crumb of that happy-go-lucky spirit… _

Hope paused in her writing, thinking if there was anything else she needed to jot down. Not thinking of anything, she closed her diary and tucked it into her book-bag. She looked at the wooden toy, a soldier on a horse, sitting on her windowsill. She snatched it up and looked at it. They had never found her aunt Rebekah again, so Dinah had adopted her, raising her along with Emery. She stared at the wooden object as if it would bring back some memories. It didn't, but it had brought her luck all her life and she wasn't about to leave it behind now. Tucking it into the inside pocket of her leather jacket, she stood up and shouldered her bag.

"Em, we're going to be late for school!" She yelled at the bathroom door as she walked into the hallway. The door swung open and Emery pointed the hair straighter at her.

"A pretty girl is never late, nor is she early. She arrives precisely when she means to." She explained seriously. Hope rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. Can the pretty girl and her sister at least arrive at school before first period starts?" She asked.

"I'll be out in a minute." Without another word, Emery ducked back into the bathroom and shut the door. Hope walked downstairs, pulling her long dark brown hair up in ponytail as she went. Dinah was down in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for them.

"Good morning, mom!" Hope greeted her, giving her a peck on the cheek before moving to go to the fridge.

"Hey, sweetheart. So my co-worker, Leah, was telling me about this wild high school party that the teens are going to tonight. Are you and Emery going?"

"Maybe. Depends on if Roy and Luke invite us, I guess." Hope replied, grabbing a can of root beer and popping it open. Roy Masen and Luke Rush were two boys that Emery and Hope had met over the summer, right after they'd moved here. 'Here' referred to a small town in Maine, surrounded by the forest.

"Showing up to a party uninvited _is_ pretty rude." Dinah agreed. Just then, Emery rushed into the kitchen.

"Party? What party? Who's going to a party?!"

"I should have known better than to use the 'P' word with Emery in the house…" Dinah muttered, shaking her head. She finished buttering the toast and handed each girl a plate. Within minutes, the two girls had eaten and were practically throwing their dirty plates in the sink.

"Race ya to the car!" Emery cried. She ran out. Hope was starting to run after her, but Dinah caught her arm to stop her.

"Sweetie, we need to talk."

"You know how to strike fear in my heart." Hope was only half-joking.

"You'll be eighteen in nine months and then you'll be out of the foster care system…" Dinah trailed off, as if not sure how to tell Hope this.

"What? What happens then?" Hope pressed, her heart pounding.

"I've heard a lot of stories about kids in bad foster homes that just get kicked out on the street. I want you to know that you always have a home here." Dinah pulled Hope into a hug and she sighed with relief.

"I thought _you_ were kicking me out!" She said.

"Oh, I would never do that. You're my girl, just as much as Emery. Speaking of her, she'll be getting impatient. Go on." Dinah broke away and gave Hope a push towards the garage. Hope hurried out to Emery's car and got into the passenger seat. Her foster sister grinned over at him.

"You ready to go?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Hope replied, throwing her back into the back seat. Emery rolled her eyes.

"We are so not related!"

"Congrats, you finally figured out what the word 'adoption' means!" Hope couldn't help but be sarcastic. She might be shy and somewhat withheld, but give her the chance and she would turn into a sass-master. Emery backed out of the garage, slowly shaking her head.

"You are such a jerk."

"It's a gift."

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><p>The two girls stood outside the high school, looking up at the giant building. They glanced at each other and then back up at the school. Two bodies impacted with theirs. Hope stumbled forward with the impact and Emery let out a yelp. Roy and Luke laughed, helping the girls straighten up. Roy wrapped his arms around Hope's shoulders.<p>

"Welcome to High School, girls." Luke told them, hugging Emery.

"These are supposed to be the best years of our lives." Roy added, moving around to Hope's side as they walked up to the school.

"Gosh, I hope not." Hope muttered. The four of them laughed.

"The front office is right over there. You can get your class schedule there and we will see you in class." Luke pointed out the office door and the girls went in, calling 'thanks' over their shoulders as the boys disappeared into the crowd.

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><p>Six hours, several boring classes and impatient teachers later, the two sisters walked out of the school. Luke and Roy caught up to them in the parking lot.<p>

"There's a party tonight and-." Luke started.

"I KNEW IT!" Emery yelled, smacking at Hope's arm as if the yell wasn't enough to gain her sister's attention.

"Ow. I think you just broke my ear drums." Roy complained.

"Don't think that's the proper medical term." Hope pointed out.

"Hello! Party!" Emery brought their attention back to the original subject of conversation and Luke went on.

"And I was wondering if you guys wanted to go. If you do, I can pick you up after dinner." He offered. Roy leaned against Emery's car.

"He means that his parents can drop us off at the party on their way to their date. It would be much easier if Emery drove us all, but he wants to be romantic and pick her up." He explained.

"Dude! You weren't supposed to say that!" Luke cried, looking embarrassed and angry at the same time. Roy chuckled, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking down at his shoes as if they were suddenly interesting. Emery giggled, tucked a short strand of her brown hair behind her ear and nodded quickly.

"I would love to go. Hope?" She looked over at her sister hopefully. Hope looked over at Roy.

"Will you be there?"

"I will be."

"Then I will be there too." Hope agreed.

"YES! Party tonight!" Emery cried excitedly, clapping her hands.

"We will see you at our place later?" Hope asked to clarify. Luke nodded, backing away from the car.

"See you then." Luke and Roy retreated back towards the school for their football practice. Hope and Emery climbed into the car.

"He's cute…" Emery said dreamily, resting her chin on the steering wheel.

"So is Roy." Hope admitted.

"I hate to see them leave, but I love to watch them go…"

"You did not just say that!" Hope cried, laughing.

"What?! They have nice backs. I dig broad shoulders."

"You 'dig' any males within two years of your own age, Em!"

"Not true!"

"Yes it is!"

"Only a little…"


	3. Running Scared

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><p>Hope's first hint that the night wouldn't end well: high school students had started a bonfire in the middle of the woods. But who was she to judge? She was the new girl and she was here to have fun, even if the car ride with Luke's parents was the most awkward thing she had ever had to sit through. Currently, Luke and Emery were dancing like psychopaths close to the bonfire. Dangerously close. And she, the ever awkward one, was sitting on a log on the outskirts of the clearing. Alone. Watching everyone else have fun. Because she was just that weird.<p>

"Hey, Hope." Roy greeted her, flopping down beside her. Well, at least they could be weird together and that was a huge plus.

"Hey." She returned. They sat there in silence for a minute. Finally, Roy looked over at her again, a question obviously chewing away at his mind.

"Do you want to dance? I mean, your sister already is and you might as well follow her crazy example." He suggest, motioning towards the two crazy ones near the bonfire.

"Well, I have been piggy backing on her family since I was six, so okay." She agreed. Roy gave her a weird look as they stood up.

"So you're adopted?" He asked. She mentally kicked herself for saying anything at all. But, in reply to his question, she nodded.

"Yeah… I… Well, it's a long story but the short version is that I was abandoned by my aunt and I was adopted by mom and Emery." She explained. She must have been frowning, because he seemed eager to change the subject.

"Sorry that I brought it up. Come on; let's dance." He led her over to the bonfire, grabbed her arm and twirled her around. She laughed as he brought her closer to him. He leaned in and she knew he was going to try to kiss her. A million different feelings buzzed around inside her, like a flock of butterflies inside her stomach. Suddenly the bonfire erupted, spewing flames everywhere. She screamed as she and Roy scrambled out of the way. She looked over at Emery and Luke, who had moved safely away but were shocked. She stared at the fire, her mouth hanging open. Luke squeezed her hands to draw her attention back to him.

"You okay?" He asked. She looked over at him. Hot, her age, funny and generally concerned about her well being. He couldn't be perfect. What was wrong with him?

"What is wrong with you?" At once, her eyes popped at her own words. She couldn't believe she'd said that out loud. What was wrong with _her_?

"Um… Sorry? Not following." He admitted. She squeezed her eyes shut. _Maybe if I click my heels, I'll appear in bed and can start this whole day over_, she thought.

"Hey." She opened her eyes to look at him again. He was leaning in again. The feeling returned, albeit with a side-dish of embarrassment. The bonfire erupted again and she let out another scream. _It's me! I'm doing this_, she thought in shock. She ripped her hands from Roy's.

"I have to go." She ran away, away from the party and into the trees. She felt like her skin was burning; every part of her was electrified. She leaned against a tree and tried to calm herself down. A wind was picking up, getting stronger every second. She looked around.

"Tell me that isn't me…" She whimpered. She slid down the tree, collapsing onto her knees. The wind made the side of her jacket hit her and she felt something hard. She almost gasped with relief, realizing what it was. Holding the wooden toy close to her, she began to clam down as she felt the familiarity of it.

"HOPE! Hope?" Emery sprinted over to her and kneeled down beside her, resting a hand on her shoulder. The wind died off completely. Emery glanced around.

"What… What is going on?" She asked in a panic. Roy and Luke caught up to them, stopping a few feet back to watch the sisters.

"Please just call mom. I have to get home." Hope pleaded. Emery, seeing her sister was near tears, nodded hurriedly and scrambled to her feet, grabbing her phone from her pocket. She walked a few feet away as she dialed. Roy went over to Hope.

"Hey, are you okay? What's wrong?" He asked worriedly. She shook her head. _She_ didn't even know what was wrong; how could she explain it to him? She looked down at the wooden toy in her hands. A flash of blonde hair appeared in her mind.

_"Hope, love, stay here, alright? You have to stay here and keep very quiet. I'll be back to get you in just a few moments, but you can't make a sound, got it?"_ Hope looked around, wondering what was happening. The memory, the words, were so clear in her mind, she could have sworn someone said that right next to her. The wind picked up again, even stronger than before, and tears cascaded down her pale cheeks. Roy looked around in total shock, piecing together that Hope was causing this. Luke rushed forward and grabbed Hope by the shoulders, making her look at him.

"Take a deep breath. Calm down. Calm your mind." He ordered, dead serious for once. She took a shaky breath and then another. Slowly, she did what he told her to and the wind died off once more.

"How did you know how to-?" Roy started to ask, staring at his friend. But just then, Emery ran back to the group.

"Mom's on her way. She'll meet us by the road. Come on." She helped her sister to her feet, still staring at her like she'd lost her mind. _Who knows. Maybe I have_, Hope thought, casting a glance at her surroundings. Emery, Luke, Roy and Hope jogged up to the road, which wasn't too far away. Emery and Luke stood on the side of the road, talking and occasionally looking over at Hope while she and Roy sat on the ground by the trees.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Roy asked. Hope didn't answer; she wasn't sure. She stared at the toy in her hands, wishing another memory would resurface.

"Mind if I ask what that is?" Roy tried another approach to a conversation, motioning at the object she held in her hands. She clutched it tighter; as if afraid it would disappear.

"It's the only thing I have from… from my real family." She almost hated to think of her biological family that way. But she knew as well as anyone that it had been Dinah to take care of her, to drive her to school every day, pick her up and make her every meal. And it was Emery that had showed her what it was like to have a best friend, a sister, with you everywhere you went. Dinah and Emery Logan were her family. She wasn't Hope whatever-her-real-last-name-was anymore; she was Hope Logan. Nothing would change that. Except maybe finding out that she was slowly going insane due to some genetic factor no one had discovered. Then she wasn't going to blame that on Dinah and Emery. Just then, Dinah's car pulled up, going several miles over the speed limit. Hope and Roy stood up, going to meet Dinah as she stepped out of the car.

"What happened? Is everything alright?" Dinah demanded, looking between the four teenagers.

"I… I don't know. I'm just a little tired, I guess. Can we go home, please?" Hope pleaded. Dinah gave her a look that told her she wasn't buying her lousy lie, but didn't press the matter.

"Okay… Luke, Roy, are you going home? Would you like a ride?" They did, so the five of them climbed into the car with Emery claiming the front passenger seat. In the backseat, Hope was squeezed in between the boys, but she didn't complain. She just wanted to be home. She tucked the toy back into her jacket pocket; she felt she had it somewhat under control, whatever '_it_' was. Dinah drove onto a bridge and slowly shook her head.

"You freaked me out with that phone call." She complained.

"Well, she was kinda freaking me out so-. WATCH OUT!" Emery screamed. A woman was standing in the middle of the bridge. Dinah swerved and the car plunged through the guard rails and into the river below. The car sank quickly as the teens tried to clear their heads from the shocking impact.

"Mom… Mom! MOM!" Emery screamed, looking over at Dinah, who was all too still. Emery pressed two fingers to Dinah's neck and started sobbing.

"I can't… I can't find a… pulse." She sputtered. The car was filling up with water and all of them were freaking out.

"Wait until the car's full of water!" Roy ordered.

"WHAT?!"

"The pressure will equalize and we can open the doors." The water was up to their chests by now. They frantically ripped off their seatbelts, ruining the belts in the process but they didn't care. As the water reached their chins, they took a deep breath. The water filled the car within seconds. Roy opened his door and swam out, dragging Hope with him. Luke grabbed Emery and pulled her into the backseat before they swam out as well. They resurfaced above the water and gasped for air. The woman on the bridge was still there, watching them.

"Who is that?!" Roy demanded, hanging on to Hope as waves crashed over them. The wind picked up and branches nearly hit them as they blew over the river with unnatural force. Emery and Roy looked over at Hope.

"Stop doing that!" Emery cried, still sobbing. Hope, who was crying herself, couldn't help but lash out at her sister.

"I'm not doing anything!"

"It's the witch!" Luke told them. They all looked over at them.

"What are you talking about?" Hope cried.

"The woman's a witch, like you. DUCK!" They dove underneath the water again as more branches were blown at them. They swam underwater for as long as they could before resurfacing. The bridge was several yards behind them and the woman had her back to them.

"Up, onto the bank. Now." Luke told them, taking charge of the panicked group. They obeyed, scrambling onto the grassy bank of the river.

"Mom…mom's dead…" Emery sobbed, collapsing on the bank and sobbing even harder than before.

"The force of the impact…. Her head must've hit the steering wheel and-." Roy started to try and make sense of it, but he didn't get to finish.

"STOP! Just stop it! Everyone stop!" Emery screamed.

"Shush, shush, its okay. Calm down, keep quiet." Luke told her gently, glancing back at the bridge. The woman was gone. He shuddered at the thought of where she might be but forced it out of his mind and looked over at Hope.

"What's happening? What… How…" She had a million questions that needed answers immediately and didn't know where to start.

"You're a witch, Hope. Here, grab my hand." When she didn't move, Luke grabbed her arm.

"Feel that? That same burning energy? That's magic. That's my power. That's your power, Hope. Come on, get up. We have to move."


	4. Children of Mikael

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><p>The four of them ran back towards the party. They needed to call the police, let it be known that Dinah was dead and they were in danger. Emery and Roy's phones were still in the car, Hope had forgotten hers at home that night and Luke's was destroyed by the water.<p>

"Why is it so quiet?" Emery asked worriedly as they neared the bonfire, wiping at her eyes again. Luke froze, putting an arm up to stop her behind him. They all looked at each other and then crept forward. Hope had to stifle a gasp at what she saw. A man was standing in the midst of dozens of bodies, blooding dripping off his chin. Emery started to scream but Luke clamped a hand over her mouth to muffle it. They slowly backed up, not wanting to alert him to their presence. No such luck. A branch snapped underneath their feet and they froze. The man turned around.

"Run!" Luke ordered. No one hesitated; they were off sprinting in a second. And a second, evidently, was how long it took the man to get in front of them. Emery did scream this time, grabbing onto Hope's arm as they backed away from the impossibly fast man.

"Mikael." Luke said the name as if they knew each other, but not in a friendly way. Roy, Hope and Emery look between him and Mikael, wondering what was going on, another million questions starting to form in their heads.

"How do you know my name, boy?"

"It's a long story, not one I'm particularly eager to share with _you_." Mikael took a step towards them and Luke held out his hand. At once, Mikael was on his knees, holding his head in pain.

"I mastered this spell when I was three. I'm better at inflicting pain than any of my coven, Mikael." Luke told him with a hunt of smugness.

"Keep moving. Go!" He added over his shoulder to the other three. Still weary of Mikael, the trio moved swiftly past him and then sprinted onwards. Luke watched them until they were several yards away and then flicked his wrist. Mikael's neck snapped to the side and he fell to the ground, dead. Luke ran after the other three, eventually catching up with them at the top of a hill.

"What did you do to Mikael?" Emery asked, looking around to make sure he wasn't chasing them.

"He's down, but not for long. He'll wake up, angry and bloodthirsty. And he seems to have gotten over his only-eat-vampires quirk…" Luke muttered.

"What are you talking about?! Witches, spells, vampires?! What's going on?" Roy demanded.

"I will explain everything, but we have to get back to Emery and Hope's house. Vampires can't enter there unless you two invite them in. It's a safe-house, or the best we've got. Come on." He urged the tired group onward towards the town.

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><p>Nearly half an hour later, the four of them were walking into Emery and Hope's house, which seemed oddly dark and lonely with Dinah there. At the thought, Emery broke down crying again as Hope struggled to contain her own tears. Luke sat on the couch with Emery, holding her close to him and trying to comfort her. Roy reached out to touch Hope, but she moved away, shaking her head. She didn't want to be touched; she wanted this night to end and for everything to go back to the way it was in the morning. Finally, once Emery had stopped sobbing and Hope seemed to be able to breathe easier, the group gathered around Luke for an explanation on what was going on. He obliged.<p>

"I honestly don't know where to start… But, Hope, you know you're adopted. What do you remember before you were adopted?" He asked.

"I don't know. I remember wandering around this big empty house, I remember a name… Rebekah. She was my aunt, I think. This is the only thing I have from them." She held up the wooden toy and started turning it over in her hands absentmindedly.

"Her name was Rebekah Mikaelson. She was charged with keeping you safe, making sure you were away from New Orleans-."

"What's in New Orleans? Who was that woman on the bridge that did all this?" Emery asked.

"Let him explain." Roy told her gently. She fell silent and they all looked back at Luke to let him continue.

"Hope was born to a werewolf named Hayley Marshall and a vampire werewolf hybrid named Niklaus Mikaelson, the son of Mikael. The Mikaelson's are the Original vampires. All vampires that exist today are created by that family. Hope was nature's loophole, because supposedly vampires couldn't have children. But werewolves could. She's a hybrid too; she has vampire blood running through her veins, she has the werewolf gene and she has the ability to use magic. She's a witch, like her grandmother Esther who created the vampires. Esther was the woman on the bridge. Now, I don't understand this part fully myself, it's only what my coven has pieced together through tidbits of information, but Esther's firstborn was a daughter named Freya. But previously Esther was barren and she called upon her sister Dahlia, who was a powerful witch, to give her the ability to bear children. The price was the first born of every generation. Freya was taken by Dahlia and Esther and Mikael want to kill Hope before Dahlia comes to exact her revenge because she was not given the first born of this generation. Klaus and Hayley couldn't bear to lose their only daughter to Esther or Dahlia, even if they didn't know about her at the time, so they sent you, Hope, off with Klaus's younger Original vampire sister, Rebekah. Rebekah took care of you until the witches came to get her. I don't know how, but she must've hidden you. She was captured by the witches and as far as I know, she's still in New Orleans with her siblings. They've been looking for you, Hope, but they couldn't find you and they didn't want to make it obvious they were looking for you. They wanted Esther and Mikael to think you were dead, that you died as a baby. Until tonight, I thought they'd succeeded, but I guess not." When he reached the end of his explanation, he looked around, waiting for the questions.

"How do you know all of this?" Emery asked first.

"Covens of witches hear talk from other covens because even witches like to gossip, but mostly it's because my mother did the spell to cloak Hope and Rebekah originally. The spell wore off and that's how Esther and the witches found them. I… Well, I came here because my coven has been watching your family, trying to keep Hope safe. My parents you met earlier aren't my parents. They are other members of my coven, charged with the same goal: keep Hope alive."

"You were with me to get to my sister?" She demanded.

"When you say it like that, it sounds really crappy." He mumbled.

"How many Original's are there?" Hope finally spoke up, interrupting Emery and Luke.

"Mikael, Esther, Finn, Elijah, Niklaus, Kol, Rebekah… So seven." Luke told her, counting on his fingers as he said each name.

"Niklaus or Klaus or whatever you call him is my father, Esther and Mikael are my grandparents, Finn, Elijah and Kol are my uncles and Rebekah's my aunt?" She asked.

"Yes. Finn, Mikael and Esther are working together because Finn is a little mommy's boy. But Elijah, Kol and Rebekah are helping Klaus and Hayley, your mother. There's also Marcel Gerard, who is your adopted brother of sorts. He's a vampire that was turned by your father, after years of being raised by Klaus as his son. Davina Clare is another friend and a powerful little witch at that, but she's off with another witch coven in Virginia. She still goes to New Orleans from time to time, though, given that she's Marcel's adopted daughter and, by that logic, you're adopted niece. Which is awkward considering she's got sixteen years on you, by the way."

"So what happens now? I mean, Ms. Logan is dead and we've got a witch and a couple of Original Vampires after us." Roy pointed out. Hope jumped to her feet.

"No, you don't. They are after me, not you guys." She ran up the stairs and into her bedroom, but the other three followed close behind her. By the time they got to her room, she was shoving clothes into a backpack.

"What are you doing?" Emery asked.

"Leaving. I'll go to New Orleans, find my family. Esther and Mikael and Finn, if he's even here, will follow me there and you guys will be safe." She explained, running back to her dresser to grab another couple t-shirts.

"I'm coming with you!" Emery told her. Hope stopped and looked at her.

"No. You aren't. It won't be safe."

"I don't remember saying that I cared. You're my sister, you… you're my only family I have left. With mom dead… You are all I have." Emery told her. Hope went to hug her and Emery returned the hug.

"Let's go find your family." Roy agreed.

"You don't have to come." Hope told him, pulling away from Emery.

"Yes, I do. You girls aren't going to stand a chance against anyone. I mean, both of you are five feet tall and smell like cheap shampoo."

"I will have you know that my shampoo is very expensive." Emery told him.

"And I can protect them. It's my job and I'm not going to let them get hurt." Luke added.

"And I can protect them too. Besides, I've seen too much to be able to have a normal life. We're all going to New Orleans. End of story." There was a minute of silence as they all looked at each other. It was Hope that finally spoke.

"Okay then. We leave in five minutes."


	5. Rebekah

**A/N This chapter isn't my best work but I hope you guys like it. As always, please review and tell me what you think. **

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><p>Hope leaned over the railing of the balcony she stood on. After nearly a full day of driving, they'd paused at a motel to catch their breath. They would be in New Orleans tomorrow with how fast Luke drove. In hindsight, maybe letting him drive in the first place was a bad idea because he didn't seem to know the meaning of the phrase 'slow down', even if they yelled it at them while clinging to anything they could grab for dear life. In the motel room behind her, Emery was passed out on one of the two beds provided while Luke and Roy quietly talked. By the low voices and the not-so-subtle glances they shoot her way, Hope could assume they were talking about her.<p>

"Nik, I've been searching for eleven years and I will search for another hundred if that is what it takes!" That voice… Hope looked over the side of the balcony to see the figure only dimly illuminated, with white-blonde hair, talking on her phone on the ground below her.

"No, I'm not needed in New Orleans! I don't bloody care if mother is making a move against you! You can handle it; you've got Hayley, Elijah and Kol to back you up. Nik, I-." There was a pause.

"Oh, alright. Fine. I'll come back to help…" Her tone of voice told Hope she wasn't up to arguing about it again.

"Bye." Rebekah hung up and collapsed on the hood of her silver SUV, head in her hands. Hope glanced back at the open door of the motel room. Roy and Luke had their backs to her, whispering again. She headed for the stairs to go down to the ground level.

"Rebekah?" Hope spoke as she hit the last step. Rebekah's head snapped up so fast that Hope jumped. Rebekah stared at the younger girl in confusion. Then recognition flashed across her pale face.

"Hope?" A confirming nod was all that Rebekah needed to dart across the distance between them and pull her into a tearful hug.

"Oh my gosh… Oh my gosh… It's you! It's really you!" Rebekah cried, her unnaturally strong arms crushing her niece.

"Crushing me… Can't breathe…" Hope choked out. Rebekah quickly released her from the hug, but kept a grip on her arms, as if afraid she would run away and disappear.

"Hope… I… I don't know what to say." Rebekah was crying; not a single tear running down her face but ugly, messing up her make-up crying.

"How about that you'll protect me from Mikael and Esther who just killed my adopted mother and are now trying to kill me too, cause that would be a relief to say the least?" Hope was never good with small-talk before getting to the point… Rebekah gaped at her, but then quickly shut her mouth with a determined look on her face.

"I won't let them lay a hand on you, Hope." She told her firmly.

"Hope?" A sleepy voice called. Both girls looked up as Emery stood on the balcony.

"Who's this?" Emery and Rebekah asked at the same time, both equally suspicious. Hope took Rebekah's hand and ran up to the balcony, dragging her along behind her.

"Bekah, this is my sister Emery. Em, this is my aunt Rebekah." Emery's eyes widened.

"Well, that's convenient, considering people are trying to kill us." She said, shaking Rebekah's hand.

"I was searching for Hope… I have been for eleven years but I had no idea where to look. I can't believe I found you at a motel of all places!" Hope was awarded another excited hug from her aunt.

"It wasn't my ideal meeting place either, but we are on the run." Hope told her.

"Which means we should get going soon." Luke interrupted the happy reunion from the doorway.

"Give them a minute." Emery shot at him, folding her arms across her chest and glaring at him.

"No, no, he's right. The faster we get you to New Orleans, the safer we'll be." Rebekah told them. Roy, who was standing beside Luke, nodded in agreement.

"Then let's go."

"We'll take my car." Rebekah added as they went back into the motel room. With Rebekah's help, it took only moments to gather their things, shoving them hastily back into the backpacks. Then they shoved the bags into back of Rebekah's SUV and climbed inside. Rebekah drove while Hope was in the passenger seat, leaving Emery, Luke and Roy to squeeze together in the backseat. As Rebekah pulled out of the motel parking lot, a quick glance at the speedometer told Hope that her aunt drove like Luke. Which is to say, too fast for comfort.

"Shouldn't you call Klaus... I mean, dad… you know, to let him know I'm alive and coming home?"

"He might appreciate that." Rebekah agreed, pulling onto the otherwise empty highway. She reached into her jacket for her phone, hitting a speed dial button.

"_What is it, Rebekah?_" Klaus asked, sounding irritated from what Hope could tell.

"I found your daughter. Nice to talk to you too, Nik."

"_What? If you are joking, Rebekah, I swear I'll_-."

"I'm not joking. I'm coming home and if we're lucky I'll be there by morning. Then you can see for yourself."

"_Wait… Is she alright?_" Rebekah looked over at Hope, waiting for an answer. Hope shrugged, not sure what to say.

"I'll take that as a yes. But Esther and Mikael are after us, so we won't be for long if we don't get there."

"_Where are you?_"

"About six hours out. I'll see you soon." Before Klaus could protest, Rebekah hung up on him.

"You're not scared of your brother, are you?" Luke asked, leaning forward.

"Scared? No. If he was going to kill me, he would have bloody well done it when I lost his daughter."

"Point taken."

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><p>Hope stirred uncomfortably in the passenger seat before waking up fully. The sun was just rising above the horizon and Rebekah was still driving like a mad-man, or woman as the case may be. Hope wondered how she'd fallen asleep in the first place.<p>

"Morning, love." Rebekah greeted her. Hope glanced behind her to see Emery, Roy and Luke were all passed out in the back seat.

"How long was I asleep?" She asked, rubbing her eyes and stretching her arms as much as possible.

"All night. We'll be in New Orleans in about half an hour." Rebekah replied. Hope nodded once, not speaking.

"Nervous?" Rebekah asked, smiling over at her.

"Kind of… I mean, I remember you, so it's not all that weird. But I don't remember anything about my parents." She explained.

"You looked like your mother." Rebekah mused. A smile tugged at the corners of Hope's lips at the thought.

"But your eyes… no, those are all Nik's doing." She added. A full blown smile was on Hope's face now. Suddenly something large slammed into their car. The car rolled off the side of the road and everyone screamed. The car stopped upside down in a ditch and everyone was panicked, wondering what had happened. Rebekah looked over through the window to see the man getting out of the much larger truck that had hit them.

"Mikael! Get out, get out!" She cried. She released her seat belt, hit the roof of the car, opened her door and scrambled out, a blur of speed. Hope tried to do the same, but she was much slower and felt the impact rattle her bones. Rebekah ripped off her door and pulled her out and onto her feet. The boys got out, shaking their heads to clear their thoughts, and then helped Emery out. Mikael darted over to them.

"You think I wouldn't find you, _children_?" He demanded, spiting the word 'children' out like it was dirt.

"Kinda hoping." Hope admitted, hoping she sounded braver that she felt.

"Esther." Rebekah gasped. Hope looked over as Esther and a group of witches came towards them. Roy was the first to speak:

"The crap just hit the fan."


	6. The Past is in the Past

**A/N Hayley and Hope meet again in this chapter and I did my best to keep true to Hayley's character. Hope you guys like it, please review! **

**Also, I should have put this in the second chapter but I put together a dreamcast of sorts for the characters: **

**Hope Mikaelson - Lucy Hale (who, I think, looks like Hayley but has Klaus's eye color) **

**Emery Logan - Nicole Gale Anderson **

**Roy Masen - Colton Haynes **

**Luke Rush - Drew Roy **

**I won't keep you guys waiting any more, on with the chapter! **

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><p>"You can say that again." Luke agreed with Roy. They were surrounded, no doubt about it. Roy and Emery backed up behind Rebekah, who was the only one that would stand a chance against Mikael and Esther. Luke grabbed at Hope's hand, but she snatched it away, giving him a weird look.<p>

"Take my hand. We can channel each other and our magic will be more powerful." He hissed. She grabbed his hand, feeling power surge through her.

"Keep my daughter and granddaughter alive for now; kill the others." Esther ordered. The warlocks rushed forward. Rebekah looked towards them but couldn't move before Mikael had grabbed her from behind. He threw her onto the highway, causing her to land hard. He went after her to continue his attack as she hurriedly scrambled to her feet. Luke held out his hands and the warlocks coming towards them flew back as if they had been hit by a car. Esther flicked her hand and Luke was sent flying into a tree, his hand ripped out of Hope's. Hope turned towards her. _Crap, crap, crap_, she repeated in her head. She didn't know how to do magic, let alone fight hand to hand. She held out her hand anyway. _Do something, do something_! She pleaded in her head. Esther fell back against the grass in one jerky motion.

"Good enough." She ran over to Luke, who was getting helped to his feet by Emery and Roy.

"Any other brilliant plans?" She whispered, grabbing onto his arm. Emery and Roy looked helpless, watching Mikael throw Rebekah around like a rag-doll.

"I have twelve percent of a plan." He admitted. They looked at each other.

"Which is?" Esther was getting up and Hope was getting worried.

"Throw Mikael at Esther and run like the devil is chasing us."

"Good enough." Luke and Hope ran up to the highway. Hope held out her hand and tossed Mikael back.

"I can get used to this." She admitted. She was certain there was a lot more to being a witch, but the whole throw-people-back-without-touching them was really all she needed to know at the moment. Together, she and Luke threw Mikael into Esther, causing them both to hit the ground hard. Roy ran over and pulled Rebekah to her feet.

"Run!" They all yelled at once, as if any of them needed more urging. They ran into the forest, picking up speed and momentum as they raced down a hill. Emery, Hope and Rebekah were in the lead, but not by the boy's choice. They just happened to be terrified and you never know how fast you can run until you're scared. Rebekah was holding back, though; she wasn't going to leave the teens behind by using her vampire speed. Emery tripped and went sprawling on the ground. Rebekah and Hope skid to a stop and whirled around. Roy and Luke were already helping her up.

"Do you hear that?" Luke asked. They all listened, but heard nothing.

"Exactly. No one's chasing us." Just then, the warlocks came into view at the top of the hill.

"Get them!" One of them shouted.

"You just had to say that, didn't you?!" Emery demanded of Luke. They kept running.

"Bekah, where are we going?" Hope asked as they ran, breathless but not willing to stop.

"The wolf pack. They have a village just up ahead. It's where your mother is…" Rebekah replied. They splashed across a murky stream and up a steep hill. At the top, they could see the wolf village Rebekah was talking about. A couple houses and several more RV's stood by a lake.

"Go, go!" Rebekah ordered when the teens stopped to stare and catch their breath. They raced into the wolf camp not-so-silently, which caused dozens of people to emerge from their homes to see what was going on. A dark haired man and woman came out of the largest house.

"Hayley! Warlocks just over the hill!" Rebekah cried. Hayley looked at the people gathering around outside their homes.

"Marc, James, Kyle, go check it out. The rest of you check the perimeter, nothing gets through!" She barked out an order. The wolves hurried to obey, the three men that Hope assumed were Marc, James and Kyle, turning swiftly into wolves and galloping away. Hope stared at Hayley, who finally noticed and gave her a weird look.

"What are you-." She stopped abruptly, recognizing her. Suddenly she seemed weak on her knees, her mouth popping open and her eyes going wide.

"Oh my gosh! Hope? Is it really you?" Hope nodded quickly, speechless. Hayley darted forward with vampire speed, pulling her daughter into a tearful hug. Hope hugged her back.

"I can't believe it's you! I thought you were dead!" Hayley sobbed into Hope's shoulder, which wasn't an easy task considering, as Hope suddenly realized, she was a good six inches shorter than her mother. Hayley got herself under control and pulled back, wiping at her eyes.

"It's not safe here. We need to get her and her friends to the compound." Rebekah told her. Hayley nodded and turned to the dark haired man.

"Jackson?"

"Go. I'll hold down the fort, darlin'." He assured her.

"Oh, Hope, this is Jackson… my husband." Hayley told her.

"So my step-father?" Hope asked.

"Guess so. Nice to meet you, finally." Jackson shook Hope's hand and then headed over to a group of wolves that were staring and whispering about the new arrivals. Hayley turned to the three teenagers standing awkwardly behind the Rebekah and Hope.

"And you guys are…?"

"Emery Logan, Hope's adopted sister. And this is Roy and Luke." Emery explained, stepping forward to shake Hayley's hand.

"Well, now that we're all friends, let's go." Rebekah told them impatiently.

"Does Klaus know about her being back in New Orleans?" Hayley asked as they started towards a car parked on the side of the house.

"Yes. I am honestly surprised he didn't tell you she was coming." Rebekah replied.

"I'll give him a piece of my mind on that little secret. Hope, sit in the front seat with me?" Hayley asked, opening the driver's side door.

"Sure." Hope got into the passenger sight, trying not to laugh at the sight of Rebekah, Roy, Emery and Luke's faces. They climbed into the back seat together and it was lucky they could compel themselves out of tickets, because Rebekah didn't wear her seat belt and Emery was practically on Luke's lap.

"I searched for you, Hope. I did, but there were problems here with my pack and I… I couldn't get away from them." Hayley explained as she drove down a dirt road.

"I know you did, mom." The word 'mom' sounded kind of weird to Hope, as she wasn't talking to Dinah, but it also felt oddly right.

"The past is the past… I mean, you can't change what happened. It's like a river current. You can't change it; you just have to go with the flow." Hope explained.

"At least your time away made you smart."

"Actually I got most of that from a fortune cookie." Hayley laughed; a real laugh, not some fake one. Hope wondered how many times she'd laughed like that in the last eleven years. Hope spent the car ride to the compound telling her mom about what had happened to her in the past few days and Hayley listened silently, occasionally giving a nod or a 'uh-huh' to show she was actually listening. Hope trailed off from her account as the car stopped in front of a large, stone building with double doors leading inside.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, my foster parents kicked me out when they found out I was a werewolf." Hayley told her.

"That doesn't make me feel better."

"I tried." Hayley pointed out. She was obviously out of her element and Hope knew why: she was used to being the mother of an infant, not a smart-aleck teenage that had had a tragic life. Behind them, Rebekah reached over Roy to open the car door. He climbed out and she stumbled out after him.

"Ugh. I should have walked." She complained as Emery and Luke got out too. Hayley and Hope looked at each other and then laughed at her together. Rebekah shot them a half hearted death look but didn't say anything. The two girls climbed out of the car as well and Hope stared up at the building.

"So this is the compound?" Hope asked, motioning towards it as if she needed to clarify anything. Hayley nodded.

"Yeah. Come on; your dad probably wants to meet you."


	7. Meeting Dad

**A/N I'm sorry that I haven't updated in a while and that this chapter is shorter than the others, but I'll try to get longer chapters up sooner. **

**As always, reviews are welcome. Thanks for reading. **

**Disclaimer (that I should have put in the first chapter) - I don't own the Originals, just the plot and the characters I have personally created. **

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><p>Hope took a deep breath as she followed Hayley and Rebekah, both as bold as ever, into the compound. Roy, Luke and Emery came in timidly behind her, looking around in awe. Inside there was a massive courtyard that was open to the sun shining down on them, holding several tables and a fountain in the middle of it. Stairs led up into several higher levels, each apparently holding dozens of rooms.<p>

"Must suck when it rains." Roy murmured behind her. She ignored him, going to the fountain and running her fingers along the stone side of it. She couldn't believe this was a house, that a family lived her. Although naming it 'The Compound' diminished the beauty of it somewhat. The sound of a door opening and shutting made her jump and look around, wondering which door, on which floor, had been opened. Suddenly a man darted in front of her. He had brown hair, which hung over his eyes a bit, and looked just slightly older than Rebekah.

"I see you brought our niece, Bekah. I'm Kol Mikaelson." He introduced himself. Hope shook his hand.

"Hope Log-… Mikaelson." She caught herself on her last name. Technically, she _was_ a Mikaelson, not a Logan.

"You're Davina's boyfriend?" Luke blurted out from behind her. Kol's eye immediately narrowed at him.

"_Ex_." He corrected him, putting an emphasis on it.

"Oh, yes, you poor thing." Rebekah told him sarcastically. He shot her a death look.

"She was a smart girl and wanted nothing to do with him. His ego's been terribly hurt." Rebekah added an explanation to the teens, smirking over at her brother.

"I almost had her! She liked me and I knew it! But Marcel… no, he's the one that got in the way!" Kol yelled at her.

"Stop with the yelling, Kol. That was all little D's choice, Kol, so just be glad she put you back in your original body before she ditched you." A man walked into the compound, completely silent until he spoke, which caused Emery and Hope to jump in surprise.

"So you're Marcel?" Hope asked.

"That I am. Hope Mikaelson… It's dang good to see your face again." He told her. He pulled her into a quick hug, releasing her before she even had a chance to hug him back, knowing she didn't remember him.

"Again?" She echoed.

"I saw you when you were a kid. Nothing you should remember, don't worry." He explained. Then he looked over at Kol.

"Don't mind him. He's a bit unhinged." He told her, not taking his eyes of Kol. Kol rolled his eyes and sat down on top of one of the tables.

"NIK! Nik, get down here and meet your daughter!" Rebekah yelled, taking advantage of the momentary silence. In a blur of speed, Klaus appeared on the balcony above them. Seeing Hope, his eyes widened. He darted down to the bottom of the stairs and then stood there, as if unsure what to do. Finally, he walked over to her.

"You got here safely?" He asked.

"Besides a couple attempts on my life, yeah." She agreed, sticking her hands in her pockets and nodded awkwardly. He fell silent and she found herself wishing that she could be anywhere but there. But what was she expecting? That it would be all happy and cheery, no awkwardness to be found? Klaus didn't seem like a touchy-feely type of person, unlike Hayley and, apparently, Marcel. Finally, Hope made a move since it was obvious he wasn't going to. She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him. Without hesitation, he hugged her back, bowing his head so he could rest his forehead on the top of hers.

"Niklaus, why is she still here?" A voice came, sounding annoyed. Klaus broke away from Hope just enough to turn around, keeping his arm around her shoulders, as if she was going to disappear. A dark haired man in a suit descended the stairs, looking down at a book in his hand. He slammed it shut as a woman descended behind him. Looking up, he noticed Hope standing there.

"Hope."

"Hi." She returned, raising a hand and waving.

"Elijah Mikaelson." He introduced himself, walking over to her. Klaus's arm left her shoulders just long enough for Elijah and Hope to hug and then returned, perhaps a little tighter than before. The woman that had come downstairs after Elijah paused at the bottom of the steps and stared at her.

"So this is your daughter? She doesn't look like you. Except for the eyes." She said, squinting at Hope as if that would make her look more like Klaus.

"Oh, Melanie, it's always such a pleasure." Rebekah said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Even Kol seemed annoyed by this woman.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Hope asked.

"Melanie Amaris."

"Great. That explains nothing." Hope told her. Klaus smiled and looked over at Hayley. She nodded once, recognizing how much Hope was like the two of them. Melanie rolled her eyes, obviously not wanting to have to explain herself, but then finally spoke.

"I'm Klaus's girlfriend."


	8. Crime and Punishment

**A/N I took a longer holiday break than I meant to, but here's a good long chapter for you guys. I hope to get back into the habit of updating once a week, or maybe more. **

**I hope you guys like this chapter. Please review, as always. **

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><p>Hope had been set up in a room at the compound, as had her friends and sister. After a night of rest and a day of questioning from Hayley and Klaus, the second night of her stay in New Orleans set in. She sat at the desk, staring at her diary in front of her. Finally, she picked up her pen and began to write.<p>

_Dear Diary, _

_I have written in a while because… well, because a lot of things happened and I just didn't have the time. If people thought I needed therapy before, then they would think I needed to be locked up with a nice little straitjacket now. But I'm not crazy, just surprised. _

_So much has changed and I don't even know where to begin to tell my story. I thought that the beginning was when I was 'abandoned' by Rebekah and found by Dinah. But no. That was more towards the middle of my story. It all started before I was even born. Before any of my friends were born. It started when Esther made her children immortal…_

A quiet tap on the door made Hope jump and whirl around in her chair. Hayley gave her a reassuring and slightly apologetic smile.

"Sorry. I was just seeing how you were doing. I know that this must be a lot to take in." She explained quickly, going to sit down on the bed. Hope closed her diary, tucking it back into the backpack hanging on the back of her chair.

"Oh, no, it's just everything I thought I knew about my life was lie. No biggie." Hope responded sarcastically. Hayley let out a quiet laugh.

"You are so much like your father."

"And I sense that's a bad thing in your mind?"

"No… Just, your dad and I don't get along too well." Hayley told her, shifting uncomfortably on the bed.

"I guessed that, seeing as you're married and dad has a girlfriend who I'm pretty sure doesn't like me. Like, at all." Hope pointed out. Hayley nodded slowly.

"Melanie is a… acquired taste."

"That's one way of putting it…" Hope agreed.

"Well, I can always give her a good kick in the butt if she's mean to you. But I probably won't have to; your dad will take care of that. You are the thing he loves most in the world." Hayley said it casually, like Hope should have picked up on that at once. Off of Hope's shocked expression, Hayley went on.

"Don't look so surprised, Hope. You are his one and only child. And mine." Hayley added the last part quickly, smiling at her daughter. Hope didn't respond, so Hayley went on.

"Anyway, I just hope that you'll be comfortable here. I don't want you to feel like this anything other than your home." Hope started to give her a reassuring don't-worry-I'm-fine speech like she'd been giving Elijah, Rebekah and even Klaus since she'd came here, but then she thought of something else to say.

"I hope so too. After all, hope is my name." She smiled at her own cleverness. Hayley rolled her eyes.

"Since when did you get funny?" She asked. Hope shrugged it off.

"When my life is not in danger, I think you'll find I'm quite the sass master."

"Sass master?" Hayley echoed.

"It sounds better that smart aleck." She explained.

"Ah… Okay, well, I'll let you… write." Hayley realized the conversation had come to an end. She got up and left the room, quietly closing the door behind her. Hope turned back to her diary and was just starting to pick up her pen when the door opened again. She turned, half expecting Hayley to be back to restart the conversation. Instead, it was Emery, Roy and Luke. They slid into her bedroom and shut the door behind them.

"We are going to see the nightlife of New Orleans. You coming?" Emery asked excitedly.

"But Klaus-. Dad told us not to leave the compound." Hope protested.

"And you're one to always follow the rules. Get your hybrid butt out of your chair, because we're going. I did not spend the last half an hour convincing Luke just to be stopped by you." Emery explained. Without waiting for a response, she climbed onto Hope's desk and slid her window open.

"Oh, yes, that's a wonderful idea. It's not like there are people trying to kill us or anything." Hope shot back.

"Well, how about this: I'm going whether you three come or not. So you'd better come to watch out for me." With that said, Emery climbed out the window onto roof. Luke and Roy exchanged a look and then looked at Hope.

"Let's go." Hope grumbled. So the three of them followed Emery out onto the roof and climbed down to the sidewalk from there. Emery grinned with excitement.

"Now this is what I call fun."

* * *

><p>The teens' fun only lasted about half an hour before Hope saw something across the room at the nightclub. Rebekah and Kol sat at the bar, but hadn't spotted them yet. Immediately, Hope grabbed Emery's arm and hauled her off the dance floor, over to Luke and Roy.<p>

"Overprotective aunt and crazy uncle alert." She warned. It was almost funny how the other three knew not only who she was referring to but exactly how much trouble they were in if they got caught at once. They snuck out the back door and into the alley, all in silent agreement that they needed to get back to the compound _now._

"Going somewhere?" They froze and turned back to Rebekah, who was coming out the back door behind them. Hope plastered a smile on her face.

"Hey, Aunt Bekah."

"Don't 'hey aunt Bekah' me!" Rebekah told her. Hope's smile faded.

"You snuck out, didn't you?" She continued. Kol was looking a little too amused with this, trying to hold back his laughter behind Rebekah.

"How do you know we didn't have permission?" Emery challenged.

"Because if you had permission, you wouldn't have snuck out when you saw us."

"Point taken." Emery relapsed into silence.

"Let's go. Back to the compound, all of you." Rebekah ordered. She took to leading them out of the alley. Hope and Kol brought up the rear of the group as they began the walk of shame.

"Of all the nightclubs in New Orleans, you had to choose the one where Bekah and I go most nights… Bad luck, that is." Kol whispered to her.

"I kind of figured that."

"May I suggest another club around the block where-."

"Kol! Don't encourage her!" Rebekah yelled at him. He fell silent, giving Hope a 'sorry, I would go on, but I am scared of her' look.

* * *

><p>Back at the compound, Hope found herself wanting to disappear. Emery, Luke and Roy were able to escape but she was stuck getting yelled at by Hayley and Klaus. At the same time. Loudly. Very loudly. The neighbors must have loved them at that moment…<p>

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WERE THAT STUPID!" Hayley blew up at her.

"IF ONE OF MY ENEMIES HAD SEEN YOU-." Klaus started.

"OR ONE OF MINE!" Hayley added.

"YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!" They shouted at once.

"Are you two done? You're making my ears and my head hurt." Hope told them.

"I cannot believe you would do something like that." Hayley huffed, flopping down in a chair and rubbing her head, as if she'd given herself a headache.

"Well, this has been fun and all, but-." Hope started to get up out of her chair, but the looks she received made her sit back down.

"You're grounded." Hayley said. Even Klaus looked a bit surprised by that.

"Huh?" Hope asked.

"You heard me. You're grounded for two months."

"_Months?!_" Hope cried.

"Yes." Klaus wisely stayed out of this part of their argument as Hope rose from her chair.

"I can't believe you! For seventeen years, I've either been with Rebekah or another freaking family and you think you can come back into my life and pretend like you can control me?! Not happening." Hope turned and hurried up the stairs towards her bedroom. Hayley and Klaus stared after her. Hayley was red in the face and practically steaming with anger, but Klaus was more surprised than angry.

"I believe that she got her temper from both of us, love, so I'm not entirely at fault." He told Hayley, knowing she was about to go after him.

"Don't." Hayley warned. He smiled slightly and fell silent.


End file.
